Innocence
by Procrastinator123
Summary: after a young woman is released from Azkaban after her wrongful imprisonment, she reveals that her own innocence protected her mind. This information leads head of the DMLE Amelia Bones to investigate the other prisoners, including Sirius Black. Set 5 years after Voldemort's dowfall 1986 . Changed pename, was twilighter no1 previously. Rated T for safety.
1. Prologue

_Hello everybody. This is the new story - this chapter is a little higgledy piggledy but hopefully it all makes sense. This is the result of the poll on my profile, though seeing as only seven people voted i've left it open if anyone wants to go and vote anyway.  
So, leave a review please, and I hope it's okay. _

* * *

**"I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me… but it kept me sane and knowing who I am… helped me keep my powers… _Sirius Black, Prisoner of Azkaban. _**

Prologue

The trial of Alice Jones, murderess of her own husband, was about to begin.

Jones had been accused eight years previously, in the middle of You Know Who's reign of terror: 1978. The trial had been hurried, and Jones had never been allowed to defend herself. Her husband had died under suspicious circumstances, likened to those found after the killing curse had been used. The only one around was his muggle-born wife, Alice. Albert Jones had been half-blood: magic father and muggle mother.

Amelia Bones; the new head of the DMLE, had been reading over the trials of those from Voldemort's era, and had come across the case. After performing Priori Incantatem on the accused's wand, which for some reason had never been snapped, she decided to award a retrial. This became an even better idea seeing as the woman was still coherent after spending so long in the presence of Dementors.

The woman was brought in, one of the cruel creatures gripping each of her arms. Her blonde hair was matted and dirty, looking browner in colour thanks to the dirt caked in it. Her face was streaked with filth, and her prisoner's robes were barely grey anymore they were so filthy. Worst of all, she was skeletally thin, struggling to keep up with her guards pace. The woman was in her thirties, but her hair was streaked with white. She was a mess.

Jones was led to a chair in the centre of the courtroom, facing the Wizenagamot. The chains circling the arms of the chair snaked around the prisoner's wrists, restraining her. Jones was calm and unafraid, staring unblinkingly at Madam Bones as the Wizenagamot settled.

"I call the court to order," Madam Bones called in a commanding voice. Pausing to allow the Wizenagamot behind her to fall silent, Amelia regarded the witch in front of her. She didn't seem like a murderess. Amelia had seen many a murderer enter these courts in her days, even before she became head of the DMLE, and this woman didn't have the right demeanour.

Clearing her throat, she began to address the defendant directly.  
"Alice Maria Jones, you are called before us today to answer for the murder of your husband, Albert Jones, for which you were tried and found guilty. This is your opportunity to defend yourself." Madam Bones paused, watching for the flicker of understanding on the accused's face. After receiving it, she continued, "You have been accused of knowingly and willingly casting the Avada Kedavra curse upon your husband. How do you plead?"

Jones looked directly at Madam Bones, clearing her throat quietly.

"Not guilty, your honour," she rasped hoarsely.

"Let it be recorded that the defendant pleads 'not guilty'," Amelia spoke, waiting for the scribe's nod before resuming.

"I'm going to ask you some questions Mrs Jones…" Amelia started, before she was interrupted by Jones' lawyer.

"Your honour, my client is willing to answer your questions under the influence of Veritaserum," the man spoke, as loud and clear as Amelia.

Another man rose before Madam Bones could reply.

"Your honour, Jones could know a way to combat the potion. This practice was made redundant in the early 1970s."

"I will allow the use of Veritaserum in this case. The Wizenagamot can make their own decisions on whether it is reliable or not," Madam Bones spoke.

A ministry aid, a young boy, made his way across the courtroom to administer the potion: three drops on Jones' tongue.

"Mrs Jones, where were you on the night of the fifteenth of February, 1978, when your husband was murdered?"

"I was in bed next to him," Jones replied in a monotone voice.

"Did you notice anything unusual before you went to sleep?"

"Albert was wheezing slightly."

"It was you who informed the aurors of his passing was it not?"

"It was."

"When did you realise your husband was dead?"

"When I woke up, je wasn't breathing. His eyes were open and staring."

"What did you do then?"

"I called the aurors."

"Does anyone else have a question for Mrs Jones?" Madam Bones called, addressing the Wizenagamot.

Only one raised their hand; a middle aged witch with dark brown hair. Madam Bones nodded her head, allowing her to ask her question.

"How are you still sane, Mrs Jones?" she asked, looking very curious.

"I am innocent. It is not a happy thought, so the Dementors cannot take it from me."

* * *

The trial was concluded over three hours later. It was found that Albert Jones had actually died of a heart attack, and that Alice Jones was completely innocent. She was to be paid 100 000 galleons of compensation for each year she had spent in Azkaban. She was also to spend time in St Mungo's hospital to recover.

Meanwhile, Madam Bones and other high ranking ministry officials, including Barty Crouch senior, and the minister for magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, were having a very important meeting. The revelation about Mrs Jones' sanity had given Bones a very good idea. If they could listen to the prisoner's mutterings whilst they were in the presence of Dementors, then perhaps the other innocents in Azkaban could be wheedled out without the long process of giving every single prisoner another trial.

Of course, Barty Crouch was adamant that the rest of the inmates inside Azkaban were guilty, and Fudge was inclined to agree with him. However, Amelia Bones was determined. Eventually, it was agreed that she would be the one to investigate, but that anyone she pulled would have to be retried in the same way that Mrs Jones was.

* * *

_So, that was it folks. You know, reviews keep up a writer's morale and help them write faster - just thought I'd mention it :D _


	2. The Inmates of Azkaban

_Hello again - here's the next chapter :) Thank you everyone who reviewed, favourited or followed. Any comments would be appreciated :D_

* * *

**At the foot of the platform, a bight-silver, long-haired cat prowled up and down, up and down, and Harry realized that it was there to protect the prosecutors from the despair that emanated from the Dementors: That was for the accused to feel, not the accusers. **_**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.** _

The Inmates of Azkaban

After a month of planning and attempts to fail their mission to discover the innocents of Azkaban, Amelia Bones was finally on a small boat to Azkaban, accompanied by Auror Shacklebolt and  
ex-Auror Moody. She had hand chosen those two aurors for sharing her belief in justice.

The human guards of Azkaban, however, had been much less helpful. They, like Crouch, were adamant that all the prisoners inside were guilty. Amelia had had to agree to restrain any prisoners she escorted to the Ministry holding cells to await trial to get them to allow her to move them at all. Then again, maybe she was getting ahead of herself – they hadn't rescued anyone yet after all.

Moody had come up with a cunning plan to visit the prisoners whilst the Dementors were present. A Patronus would be used to shield a corridor through the prison, so that the Dementors would not affect the trio, but they would be able to listen in on the prisoners. This technique made Amelia feel a little guilty, but if it saved them, then she could live with it.

The prison loomed up out of the unnatural mist surrounding it, dark and foreboding. It wasn't as high as Amelia had expected, only 5 floors above sea level. But the unforgiving cold and the dark grey stone were exactly as she had imagined. In fact, it was even scarier than she had made it in her head when she had thought of it.

The boat clanked to a halt on the end of the worn jetty. The trio of investigators exited the boat, and walked on to the stone ground of Azkaban prison. Shacklebolt let out a small hiss of breath, and Amelia was glad to find someone as nervous as she was.

An Azkaban guard approached them as the trio headed towards the entrance.

"Hello, I'm Phelps and I'll be accompanying you around the premises," he introduced himself, sounding very bored. "I don't know what you expect to find – they're stark raving mad in here," he added, making no illusions that he thought they were mad too.

The group spent the remainder of the morning staking out the lower security level – which was all five floors above ground. High security was in the basement. Amelia was hoping not to find anybody in this section of the prison – they had all been given fair trials. After all, low security was mainly for thieves.

They didn't hear anything except insane ramblings from the prisoners in their cells until they reached the fifth and final floor.

Phelps was gloating of course, and irritating Amelia no end, by the time they reached her. She must have been blonde once, but it was hard to tell in the dark. She was sat as far away from the Dementors as her cell would allow, with her hands wrapped firmly over her head.

"Innocent…innocent…innocent…please, please I'm innocent…" the woman muttered very quietly as the group walked past.

"Madam Bones," Kinglsey called quietly, having heard her.

Amelia rushed over, peering in to the cell he was looking at.

"Phelps," she called, beckoning him over to them. She nodded at the cell which contained the muttering woman.

Phelps looked rather comically shocked as he opened the cell door. He bound the woman's hands, but gently. She looked bewildered, and a little frightened.

"We can't leave her on her own Amelia," Moody growled.

Amelia frowned, thinking. "Go with her Alastor," she said, leaving no room for argument. "We'll finish off this corridor then join you for something to eat."

* * *

Padfoot whimpered as another wave of cold hit him, shivering under his shaggy fur coat. It was warmer as a dog, but it didn't save him from the frozen temperature the Dementors caused. The dog's mind, whilst miserable, was much better than the human's. The dog didn't feel guilt, though it did miss its back.

Something changed; it wasn't as cold anymore. There was a light outside his cell. Padfoot must become human once more. Something was changing.

* * *

Amelia sighed. There were three basement levels. The uppermost was for the rapists, and the elderly murderers. They hadn't pulled anyone from there.  
The next level down was for most of the murderers, and the lower ranking Death Eaters. They had rescued two shivering prisoners from this large level of the prison, one man and one woman. They'd left Moody the cell numbers so he could find all the paper work.

As they reached the last level, Phelps stopped them. "There are only ten prisoners down there," he whispered, glancing fearfully at the passage into Azkaban's deepest pit. "Dolohov, Rookwood, the Lestranges, Black, you don't want to let any of them out of their cells!"

"We will treat them the same as any of the other prisoners," Amelia snarled, pushing past him to head into the darkness.

The smell hit before anything else. All of Azkaban smelt horrid, but the stench from the pit was something else. It mingled with the smell of death.

The prisoners weren't just muttering in this section; half of them were screaming. About half way down the corridor a woman was cackling madly. Slightly further in, there were two mutterers. One was chanting "The Dark Lord will come, the Dark Lord will come," over and over, sat in the middle and rocking, his arms positioned over his head.

Amelia couldn't catch what the other man was saying, so she motioned for Kingsley to come over with his superior hearing ability.

"What's he saying?" she asked quietly.

Kingsley's brown eyes widened as he called Phelps over.

Phelps stared inside the cell, fear etched onto his pale face.

"But that's…" he started.

"I don't care who he is," Amelia interrupted savagely. "Get. Him. Out. Now."

Phelps seemed to be at war with himself – who was more frightening; Amelia or the man in the cell? Apparently, Amelia won, as Phelps opened the door and yanked the man off the floor and out of the cell. He bound the man's hands behind his back, maintaining a tight hold on his arm.

"This is Sirius Black," Phelps spat at Amelia, shaking the man as he spoke his name.

* * *

_So, there we go. Sorry for the cliffhanger - I just couldn't resist :) Thank you to my reviewers, **Slytherin66, **thank you, and you're right, the ministry such - but Amelia's working on it, **Mistery Maiden, **I haven't seen one either, so hopefully there isn't or my fellow author will be very grumpy. I'm glad you're enjoying it :D **Robotic Worm, **I'm glad my plot is okay, and that you all seem to be enjoying it :D **Luiz4200, **well, there were a few lines of Sirius, there'll be more next chapter, **Megsay Lupin, **I'm glad you're enjoying it - Harry will be five in this story, and we will see him at some point. Does this classify as soon? _

**_Thank you everyone! See you next time!_**


	3. First Steps Out Of Hell

_Hello again guys. Sorry to those waiting on Learning Through Time; I've got a little bit of writer's block with that one at the minute_

_Anyway - results came through and I've done very well and am very happy. I got an O, two Es and an A - that's in Hogwartian terms for anyone who's confused. A_

_So, on with the tale. _

* * *

First Steps out of Hell

Sirius shivered. The guard holding him was hurting his arm, and his legs didn't feel strong enough to hold him. He wanted Padfoot's four paws again to support himself, but that was impossible due to the fact that his hands were tied behind him.

The guard was saying something rather aggressively. It was a struggle to understand – it sounded as though he was talking from a long way away, or like he was a badly tuned radio station that was very quiet. To Sirius, it almost sounded as though they were arguing. He was sure it was important but he just couldn't concentrate. All he wanted was a restful sleep, the kind he used to have before arriving in the pit.

* * *

Amelia glared at Phelps furiously. Admittedly, Black was a psycho killer, but he had never had a trial. That was where they were taking him – to a fair trial. It was every human's right. If he lost the trial he'd be straight back into hell, with no second thoughts. But for now – Black was just another inmate like the others they'd rescued today, and would be treated as such. Thus, Amelia could not leave him in the hands of Phelps.

"Phelps, that is enough," she said firmly, interrupting the man's babbling rant about high security prisoners and risks. "I will be taking Black to Alastor; you will be helping Kinglsey finish up in this section. Understood?"

Phelps looked mutinous, but nodded. Amelia gently grasped Black's other arm, whilst Phelps let go, revealing a bright red hand print where he'd gripped it.

Amelia led Black slowly up the three flights of stairs to Moody, trying not to be concerned over the trembling of his body or his rasping breath. It was a slow trip, but eventually they made it.

Moody looked up from a huge stack of paperwork the moment they walked in. The other three prisoners were seated at a table in the corner, still wearing the same bewildered looks. Amelia sat Black down with them on a stool, before she joined Moody with the paperwork.

"Who've we got?" she asked, looking at the stack in front of him.

"The woman from low security is Rosaline Smallwood; she's sentenced to ten years for the attempted theft of Gringotts," Moody sighed. "Also, the trial was a sham. The ministry wanted someone to blame, Smallwood was convenient. They ought to have more vigilance," Moody growled out the last sentence harshly as Amelia tried not to roll her eyes at his catch phrase.

"The other two are Sam Doyle and Angel Malfoy," Moody continued savagely. "Both accused of being Death Eaters and the murders and treason that go along with it. I'm not certain about Doyle, but with Malfoy it was either her or her brother Lucius, and I'd bet anything that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater," Moody sighed heavily again. "Who'd you just bring?"

"Sirius Black," Amelia answered, smiling wryly.

Moody's head jerked up, surprise eminent in his scarred face. "Black?" he asked.

"What do you know about him?" Amelia asked, interested. She wanted to know what chances they all had.

"I taught him," Moody said, smiling savagely. "He was setting up to be a damn good Auror, had taken down more Death Eaters than half his seniors by the end of his first year. He never got a trial, the evidence was too much. Black never made much sense. I pride myself on being a good judge of character; and there was nothing dark about Sirius Black, despite his family.

Amelia frowned. If Black was found innocent, it would change the entire justice system, including Azkaban prison. They'd need to get lawyers in for all of them – that would be difficult considering what three of them were charged for. Albus Dumbledore would be a good bet, and she herself could take on one case if Fudge would chair fairly.

Her thoughts were cut short as Phelps and Kingsley came back from the basement. They hadn't brought anyone else with them, to Amelia's relief.

"Right," Moody growled. "Let's get off this island and back to the ministry." He got to his feet slowly, and headed towards the prisoners in the corner. He took one of Black's arms and helped the man to his feet. Black glanced at him briefly, before staring at the floor again, as if ashamed.

Amelia came forward and took charge of Malfoy, whilst Kingsley took Doyle and Phelps reluctantly took Smallwood. Luckily, it wasn't far to go to get outside the prison, but when they did the team faced a new challenge – there was only one small boat. Luckily, Moody had already thought of that, and duplicated them with a practiced flick of his wand, so there were four boats sat in the water.

* * *

Sirius was sat in a boat, on the way back to England for the first time in…well, he didn't know exactly how long but it felt like at least a decade. Merlin, that would make Harry eleven, he thought in shock. He'd be about to attend Hogwarts if that was the case.

He wriggled his aching shoulders a little. Having your hands tied was really uncomfortable. Sirius suddenly realised he didn't know what was going to happen. They might be about to give him the Kiss, or execute him in some new but equally gruesome way. The thought made him panic a little. Was it worth jumping out the boat and making a swim for it? He glanced over the side of the little boat, taking stock of the churning sea water. He didn't know if he'd make it.

"You're not getting the Kiss Black, so don't even think of going overboard," a gruff voice said, making Sirius jump.

Moody was sat across from him. Sirius remembered Moody, sort of. He remembered that he had been his teacher at some point, when he was an Auror in training. Yes! That was it. Sirius had given him a nickname at some point, when the man had lost his eye and had that freaky replacement. Sirius frowned at the thing in question, trying to remember.

"Mad Eye," he murmured, wincing at the hoarseness of his voice.

Moody smirked, but it was enough for Sirius; he was right. He had remembered. More memories were coming back to him now, all to do with Moody. He remembered when him and James played pranks and mucking around, but suddenly got serious when they went on missions; when Moody congratulated the pair for being the best he'd ever trained. James…how he missed him, his partner in crime.

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked, after a long pause.

"To the Ministry. You're getting a trial," Moody responded gruffly.

"Today?" Sirius asked, worried. His mind was still too slow, he'd be useless.

"No – not today. As soon as we get it sorted."

* * *

_Okay - so another chapter done. I hope everyone was in character, and not too weird seeing as I was listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack for most of the writing. So, thank you to the overwhelming number of people who reviewed: **Megsay Lupin, **I'm not sure if I will bash anyone, apart from the wizarding justice system of course. In terms of Dumbledore - he's a wise wizard who made a rather significant number of mistakes after the first war, but is essentially a good character in my opion. We will be hearing from the other innocents, but I won't say too much :) **Catalina Brown, **that was what got the story stuck in my head :D I'm glad you're enjoying it, **Pilko95, **thank you, I'm going to keep writing ;D **sparrowflyaway, **thank you, I'm glad you think so, and I hope I continue to be clever, **Luiz4200, **very true - plus Sirius is one of my favourite characters, so i wouldn't leave him out, he might get grumpy with me, **MisteryMaiden, **sorry - I really really couldn't help it. It's okay - being childish is much more fun :D And thank you for that amazing compliment, it really makes me happy to hear things like that :D and now you know what happens next! **Vendelareader, **I thought that Amelia was the obvious choice for what I wanted, so I'm glad I'm writing her right :) Thank you, I'm really happy and flattered that you're enjoying the plot :D **Miranda Took, **I'm sorry I didn't work it into the story; but Sirius was saying something along the lines of "I'm innocent...No Moony, belive me please I'm Innocent!" or something along those lines. Does this classify as soon?" _

**_Thank you to everyone who reviewed; all of you make my day and really make writing much more fun. Hopefully see you all next chapter, it might take a while as my fingers are starting to attempt my murder :D _**


	4. In the Holding Cells

_Hello everybody, sorry this took so long. If it helps it's a really long chapter? Well, long for me :D _

_On a different note, I've had a few queries about bashing, and I thought I'd clear up before you read the chapter. I don't really want to bash anyone - the characters are human and make mistakes. With Dumbledore, he's also human, and is therefore flawed, not God. For me, that doesn't make him a bad person, just an old man who made a mistake. This chapter will probably explain more, using the characters. I'm sorry if any of you disagree, I can't change your opions, but this story is mine so my opions will be used here. _

* * *

The Holding Cells

Amelia sighed heavily. Angel Malfoy hadn't said a word for the entire journey. The woman seemed to be in a bit of a daze, gazing about her as if she hadn't seen the outside world before, which, Amelia reminded herself, she hadn't for however long she'd been in her cell.

The two women were the first back to the mainland. Amelia helped Malfoy out of the boat, before she Apparated directly into the Ministry's holding cells. They were located in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, down a steep flight of stairs from the main offices. There was a guard station – the only part of the complex that could be Apparated in or out of. There were only two holding cells, both with blue mats covering the floor and 3 walls of bars. The fourth wall was covered in blue sponge. They were designed for drunken wizards to spend the night in, or for more serious prisoners to spend a few hours in before arriving in Azkaban.

Amelia led Malfoy into one of the cells, removing her hand cuffs as she did so, just as a pop signalled Moody's arrival.

Sirius found Apparition much more uncomfortable than he remembered. The sensation of not being able to breath was not appreciated by him, nor was reaching their destination. He remembered staying in the Holding Cells, being watched constantly for the few hours he was there. He also remembered being prepared for his arrival in Azkaban.

The cells were almost exactly how he remembered, except this time the other cell was occupied too. Moody was being surprisingly gentle with him, seeing as he probably thought Sirius had betrayed the Order and was a filthy Death Eater. He was put in a different cell to the woman, and the chains around his wrists were finally removed. He rolled his shoulders a little, trying to get rid of the ache, before he settled in the corner of the cell next to the woman.

She glanced at him suspiciously, murmuring "hello," in greeting.

"Hi," he replied, his eyes still trained on the aurors hanging around and talking to each other outside their cells.

"What do you think's going on," the woman asked Sirius quietly.

"Apparently we're here for a trial," Sirius said, sharing all the information Moody had given him.

"Who are you?" she muttered, still seeming a little out of sorts with things.

"Sirius," he told her, leaving off his last name.

"I'm Angel," she volunteered.

"Lucius' sister?" Sirius asked, not surprised when she nodded. "We met at their wedding, do you remember?"

"We hid in the attic?" she asked.

"That's right," Sirius encouraged.

Another pop echoed through the holding cells, this time it was Kinglsey coming through holding another man's arm. He was brought into Sirius' cell once his restraints were removed. He introduced himself as Sam and settled down next to Sirius, his brown hair almost as much as a mess as Sirius'.

Sirius relayed the information that Moody had supplied again, only Sam managed to add that Shacklebolt had told him that the year was 1986, five years earlier than Sirius had thought. That would make Harry five, rather than ten and off to Hogwarts.

Amelia hadn't stood around once Moody and a handful of other guards arrived. She had hurried to her office to contact any possible people who would represent the defence for the four prisoners below her. First on her list was Dumbledore, who, to her surprise, had been willing to take on Black's case. The man looked very guilty when Amelia told him that he had never had a trial and that Moody believed he might really be innocent. The chief warlock had agreed to come and talk to Black the following morning.

After several refusals, she found a lawyer named Ursula Hope willing to take on two of the prisoners, and she didn't mind which two so long as she was paid. Another lawyer named Jane Frost agreed to take on Rosaline Smallwood, leaving Amelia to Floo back Hope and let her know she'd be taking Doyle and Malfoy. Amelia smiled to herself – that wasn't nearly as difficult as she thought it would be.

Sirius awoke the next morning feeling more rested than he had in, well, about five years or so. The floor of the holding cells was comfortable, Kinglsey had provided all of them with blankets, and best of all, there were no screaming inmates.

Phelps had, surprisingly, caused no more problems when he brought in the final inmate, Rosaline, who liked to be called Rose. The four occupants of the Holding Cells got along very well, and had managed to figure out that none of them were guilty, from Rose's information on Phelps' muttering.

"Mr Black," a hesitant voice said, just outside the cell. He looked up, startled, to see Amelia Bones standing there, looking business like. "Ah good, you're awake. Your lawyer is here to see you," she continued, sounding more and more like Professor McGonagall by the second.

Sirius lumbered to his feet and waited by the door of the cell to be let out, surprised when Bones didn't move to restrain his hands again. She led him by the arm up a flight of stairs and into an office on his left, where an elderly wizard with long white hair and a beard sat, smiling serenely.

"Hello Sirius," said Dumbledore, missing his usual twinkle.

"Professor?" Sirius replied, shocked.

Bones left the room quietly, shutting the door behind her.

"Why don't you take a seat, Sirius," the Professor suggested, indicating the chair opposite him.

Sirius sat, staring at his old headmaster in ill-disguised shock. The man was smiling at him sadly, but with no contempt at all.

"Perhaps, it is time I asked the questions I should have asked five years ago," Dumbledore said, holding Sirius' gaze seriously. "What happened?"

So Sirius told him, hesitantly at first, how he'd thought he was too obvious a secret keeper, and how he'd suggested to James and Lily that they find another. He told him how he'd checked on Peter and found the house empty, and had known he'd turned traitor. He told him how he'd climbed over the bodies to find Harry, only for Hagrid to take him away. He told him how he'd tracked down Peter for revenge, but had been tricked, as Peter blew up the street behind his back, killing the Muggles. He told him about the Marauders becoming Animagi to help Remus, and how Peter's ability to turn into a rat had helped him fake his death, and his own ability had preserved his mind in Azkaban.

Dumbledore didn't interrupt him throughout the entire tail, and remained silent for a few minutes when Sirius had finished, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"That is a rather strange tale, Sirius, so strange that it might just be true," Dumbledore murmured, the twinkle coming back into his blue eyes. "Now, for the trial, I will be using Priori Incantatem on both your wand and Peter's if I can get my hands on them…"

"Peter's is broken," Sirius interrupted.

"I'm sure it can be fixed," said Dumbledore, smiling mysteriously. "I'll call Remus as well, he can also confirm that Peter was an Animagus, and he could be a character witness as well," Dumbledore paused, meeting Sirius' eyes again. "You will be free," he said firmly.

"Professor, why didn't you ask me what happened five years ago? What stopped you?" Sirius asked, wondering darkly why he hadn't stopped by to check they had the right man. He expected that behaviour from Crouch, not Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's demeanour shifted. Suddenly, he looked very much like an old man, someone who'd seen far too much.

"I made a grave mistake. I was angry, I admit it, and I was a coward. I couldn't bear to see the man I thought you had become, to hear you confess all with pride in your voice. I couldn't bear to hear that I'd failed you, and in my cowardice I have done just that," he looked down.

Sirius was stunned, and still rather hurt and bitter that it didn't cross the old man's mind that he might be innocent, but maybe he could put it behind him, at least for now.

"I don't ask for forgiveness, just for the chance to correct my mistakes," Dumbledore looked so old now, not like the ageless man Sirius knew at all. He nodded, indicating that he agreed. Besides, who better to get his name cleared than Dumbledore, the only man Voldemort was ever afraid of?

* * *

_Thank you to my reviewers, **Slytherin66, **I'm sorryto say that Dumbledore most likely won't be bashed here. I agree that he made a huge mistake and is very lucky that Sirius is a fairly forgiving person, I hope you'll still enjoy the story anyway, **MegsayLupin, **wow, i'm glad you're enjoying this enough to read on your phone. I'm not sure how many chapters, but probably not more than ten. I was going to go through Hogwarts in one long epilogue, rather than dragging everything out, so the other kids would probably have to wait until Hogwarts, **NettleBird13, **I'm glad you're enjoying this, thank you for reviewing :D **KitKatlover7, **thank you, I'm glad I'm original, that's rather rare on this site. And wait no longer, the next one is here :D **Luiz4200, **five years in Azkaban would make anyone grumpy :) **Fury074, **I hope we managed to sort that out, **Miranda Took, **that was the longest chapter so far at that point! Anyway, glad you're enjoying it, hope this wasn't too slow for you, **madnessdownunder2, **well, the world blew up and everyone died. Just kidding, you'll just have to wait and see, glad you're enjoying it, **MisteryMaiden, **don't worry about it :) yes, updating is rather unending. Perhaps it will end when (if) I finish the story :D **Catalina Brown,** Sirius' trial will be next chapter, this one was sort of a build up. Does this classify as soon? _

**_Thank you everybody for reading - see you all next chapter unless I've frightened you off :D _**


	5. The Trial

_Hello again everyone - my apologies for the delay. College has started up again, making me very tired. I also apologise for the short chapter, i thought it would be really easy to write, but unfortuneately I was very wrong._

_Anyway, bear with me, I should be back to normal next time._

* * *

The Trial

The week spent in the Holding Cells passed very slowly for Sirius and his fellow inmates. All of them were awaiting trials, to be held as close together as the hours in a day would allow. As his surname began with a 'B' Sirius was to go first. He was very nervous, and anxious that he'd made the wrong choice regarding Dumbledore. Sam had told him many times that this worry was stupid, but that didn't stop many scenarios playing in his nightmares next to James' broken body.

The day of the trial, four days after his discussion with Dumbledore, Moody arrived early in the morning to escort him to the court room. His hands were shackled in front of him and Moody grabbed his arm firmly, but gently, to lead him up the stairs to the courtrooms located on the other side of the department. Sirius was to be tried in front of the full Wizenagamot in one of the large basement courtrooms.

Before he knew it, Sirius had reached the door to courtroom number ten. He could hear the echo of a huge number of people talking, which he knew meant that his trial was open to the public. His stomach jumped at the thought.

Moody didn't give him much time to think about what he was about to do. As the ominous door opened, the noise stopped, replaced by whispers that sounded like hissing snakes. Moody led him across the room to the chair that sat in the middle. As soon as he was settled, the chains snaked around his arms and ankles, binding him to the hard chair securely. Sirius concentrated on his breathing, avoiding looking at any of the glaring faces.

A side door sprang open to Sirius' right, allowing Dumbledore to enter along with a short brunette witch carrying a small vial of clear liquid. That had to be the Veritaserum. The witch marched straight up to Sirius and administered the Veritaserum. He must have missed the political argument on whether or not it was trustworthy.

Sirius' vision went funny almost as soon as he'd swallowed. A slivery shape appeared in front of him, Dumbledore. He could only hear Dumbledore's voice, seemingly coming from a long way away, but he couldn't make out what he was being asked. He couldn't even hear the crowed all around him.

After an unidentifiable amount of time, the short witch came back to administer the antidote. Sirius blinked a couple of times to dislodge the fogginess around his brain, before focusing back on Dumbledore, who had his back to him, holding up two wands. One was his own, the other was Peter's. Peter's wand was no longer broken; it looked as good as new.

"I present to the Wizenagamot, the wands of Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black," Dumbledore called. "I call Mr Ollivander to the floor."

Ollivander looked exactly the same as when Sirius last saw him, the watery blue eyes still felt as creepy as when he was a boy.

"Can you please confirm for me that these are the wands of Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black," Dumbledore said, allowing Ollivander to examine the wands.

"I can confirm that that is correct," Ollivander said, smirking.

"Can you also confirm that these wands have not been used in the past five years?" Dumbledore asked, already knowing the answer.

"I can, Mrs Pettigrew confirmed for me when I picked up Peter Pettigrew's wand from her, and Mr Black's has been in my care since his imprisonment."

"Thank you Mr Ollivander, I have no more questions."

Dumbledore lifted Sirius' wand for the audience to see, reminding them again that it was Sirius' wand, before resting his wand tip against Sirius'.

"Priori Incantatem," Dumbledore said commandingly, listening to the court gasp when a ghostly pair of round glasses repaired themselves. "I believe these belonged to the late James Potter," Dumbledore announced, as Sirius nodded in confirmation.

"This means that Mr Black cannot have used his wand after he was seen at Godric's Hollow; the evening before the twelve Muggles were murdered," Dumbledore said gravely. He then lifted Wormtail's wand for everyone to see, performing Priori Incantatem once again. This time, a loud bang erupted from the wand, along with ghostly debris flying everywhere.

"The court has seen enough information to declare a verdict, Professor," called Amelia Bones. "I ask the members of the Wizenagamot to raise their hand if they declare the accused guilty of the murder of twelve Muggles and attempted murder of Peter Pettigrew." Not one soul raised their hand. When Madam Bones called for the accessary to the murder of the Potters, a handful of wizards raised their hands, but the majority ruled. However, on the charge of Death Eater activity, the vote was close. In the end, Sirius was released with a majority ruling of twenty seven vs. twenty four, which was not comfortable.

Sirius wasn't really listening when he was declared innocent of all charges, or when it was declared that he would receive compensation minus a fine for not registering his Animagus form. He knew that he'd have to register properly before he was allowed to leave. He'd also been advised to spend time in St Mungo's to recover.

Sirius didn't really want to go to St Mungo's. He wanted to be outside, he wanted to see Remus. He sighed quietly. He wanted James and Lily as well, but they weren't coming back. Harry was probably living with Remus, so at least he'd be able to see and look after his Godson also.

The court adjourned, and the chair released Sirius, allowing him to clamber to his feet. He met a smiling Remus Lupin before he'd gone three paces, and grinned happily. He embraced Moony as a brother, and just like that, he knew that everything could go back to normal.

* * *

_There we go, next chapter we'll learn what happened to the OCs and possibly meet little Harry. We'll also see Sirius and Remus' proper reunion :)_

_Anyways, I'd like to say a big thank you to my reviewers: **Catalina Brown, **it don't think this counts as soon though :) Anyway, I hope you're still enjoying reading, **Miranda Took, **and then they get worse XD sorry about the slight delay, **sparrowflyaway, **I'm glad :D I hope you're still eager, I'm not quite done yet, **MisteryMaiden, **I'm flattered :D and I promise to try not to abandon or give up because you're right; it is really annoying! **Cat, **you probably ought to have made sure you were all safe for the hurricane, but then again, I probably ought to be doing homework so I can't really say anything :D You've probably had power back for ages, so sorry for not being quite ready, but hopefully it was worth the wait anyway, **Luiz4200, **that's okay, Sirius is just recklessly forgiving, or perhaps just taking advantage to hold a grudge later. His voice hasn't told me yet :D **Vendelareader, **well, they do say shared experiences unite. Hope you're still liking and reading :D **Slytherin66, **I think Albus won the wand of Grindelwald, but I'd need to double check with Deathly Hallows first, I haven't read that one in a while. I'm sorry that our opions differ a little, but I definitely feel that Dumbledore is human, and if you ever meet a perfect human, well, be shocked :D _

**_Thank you everyone, sorry about the short chapter, hope to see you for the next update. Not sure when, but there will be an update :D _**


	6. Epilogue

_Hello again, sorry about the wait. I hadn't quite decided how far I wanted to take the story, and well I've come to a decision. It is all up to your imaginations - anyone wishing to continue can feel free so long as you PM me so I can read it :D _

_Also, a few friends and I are starting up a roleplay sight and are in need of a Snape and a Lily. If you're interested, please PM me. It will work on a first come first served basis I'm afraid, as I have no idea how I'd judge :) _

_I've also started a Community called 'Sirius is Free' if any of you are still in the mood after this for more Sirius FREEDOM!_

_Right, enough babbling, and on with the story!_

* * *

Epilogue

Amelia sighed. She'd never had such a long week, or a more successful week. All four prisoner's her team had 'rescued' were now free, and either resting in St Mungo's or with friends. Some had taken more strife than others, for example John Doyle wasn't clear of _all _charges due to the fact he'd murdered the first Death Eater to keep him under the Imperious Curse, but he'd been let off with time already spent.

Angel Malfoy's old cell now contained her younger brother, who'd been the culprit all along. He'd have to be dragged back out for a trial of course; the wizarding world would never make those mistakes again while Amelia was there.

They hadn't caught the true perpetrator of the attempted theft on Gringotts, but Rosaline was free, and since nothing had been stolen Fudge had declared it wasn't worth Ministry time. Amelia disagreed, but had bigger fish to fry. With four powerful voices behind her, she could begin to reform Azkaban. She could remove the Dementors, bring in basic sanitation and start to focus on reform as well as punishment. It was a prison, not a holiday, and Amelia understood that, but the prison as it was currently unacceptable.

Amelia smiled to herself. It really had been a very successful week.

* * *

Sirius couldn't help but smile as he walked slowly down Privet Drive, finally on his way to meet his Godson. It felt good just to be outside, especially when about to meet Harry again.

Remus had made him go to Madam Pomfrey, who'd fussed over him like a mother hen for no real reason. Sirius felt better than he had in years, he was completely certain that he hadn't needed the medical attention, but it was worth it to get Remus to stop nagging.

Sirius reached no.4, a rather ordinary house all things considered, and stopped. He was nervous of what he'd find inside of course, having always imagined Harry with Remus, and had no idea if the Dursleys would have treated Harry right or not.

'Still, only one way to find out,' thought Sirius, knocking loudly on the door to Privet Drive. Only one way to find out.

* * *

_I know it was short and sweet, but hey, I've actually finished something! _

_Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favourited and added to story alerts. It really means alot to me that you've all taken an interest._

_Anyway, time to reply! **Catalina Brown, **thank you! I'm afraid this is it, I'm out of ideas for the story :( **Luiz4200, **well, a tiny bit of both really :D But not very far for either, I just wanted to tie up some loose ends, **Vendelareader, **I'm happy you're happy :D I hope the brief ending isn't toooo disappointing :/ **Dracarot, **thank you, sorry you've ha to wait so long, **Cat, **I hope you were sirius about the quality over quantity thing :D college is still fairly stressful, so thanks for the luck, I reckon I'll need it. I'm glad the storm wasn't too bad for you - sorry for the wait again :D, **MisteryMaiden, **I'm afraid it's a no for both Harry and Remus, but that's okay because your imagination is probably better than anything I can come up with, **sparrowflyaway, **Sirius would like to shout FREEDOM at you, but I am worried for your eardrums and am restraining him with 'silencio'. I have mentioned all the others, I was tempted to write each of their trials in full, and probably will next time I get writer's block. Ah well, no one ever said that the ministry is competent, **Slytherin66, **thank you! and don't worry, as I'm writing Sirius is discovering the cupboard and is currently pranking Muggles, **Cassandra30, **thank you, i believe that was every chapter? So yes, Amelia is amazing, Dumbledore did actually do it (sounds so wrong) and unfortuneately there is no more to this story except what is in your head, **Guest, **Sirius will adjust fine, so long as he avoids Diagon Alley and other busy places for a bit, and I think he'd eventually end up with Angel Malfoy, no idea why it just feels right, you know, 2 blood traitors who've been wrongly sent to Azkaban, anyway, thank you for taking interest :D, **Ice Jazz Elleth, **I'm sorry, their union will have to be i your head because mine has no ideas :( Thanks for reading though :D, **Dr Stranger, **that's okay, because it was an epilogue :D I am glad it felt finished though, and I'm glad you enjoyed_

**_Again, thank you to everyone who reviewed. All of you make my day, so thank you. But now, I get to press the 'complete' button :D _**


End file.
